dragster

American

[drag-ster] / ˈdræg stər /

noun

an automobile designed and built specifically for drag racing, especially on a ¼-mi. (402-meter) or ⅛-mi. (201-meter) drag strip.
a person who races such an automobile.

dragster British

/ ˈdræɡstə /

noun

a car specially built or modified for drag racing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dragster

First recorded in 1945–50; drag + -ster

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It’s not like I’m going back in the closet,” said Shumake, who has decided to rent out his dragster to straight drivers next year rather than leave it parked and face bankruptcy.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2025

He had been driving a jet-powered dragster at nearly 320mph while attempting to break the land speed record near York.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2023

Stewart will compete for McPhillips Racing in a Top Alcohol dragster — the equivalent of NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 24, 2022

Force had a final qualifying run of 3.732-seconds at 320.66 mph in her dragster for her first No. 1 qualifier of the year and 21st of her career.

From Washington Times • Apr. 17, 2021

Hint: Consider whether the assumption of constant acceleration is valid for a dragster.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023